Edvard Munch, The Scream (1893), Courtesy Munch Museet
Edvard Munch is enjoying somewhat of a timely spotlight, having just has his iconic 1895 pastel The Scream set the global auction record at almost $120 million last May, just one year short of what would be the 150th year since his birth. This correlation is not lost on the Norwegian city of Oslo, where Munch grew up, and 2013 has been dedicated to the pioneering abstractionist, with a pair of landmark shows compiling almost 300 works from Munch’s groundbreaking career in Oslo, Paris, and Berlin.
Edvard Munch, Workers on Their Way Home (1913-1914), Courtesy Munch Museet
Committed to bold experimentation and avant-garde explorations of the human psyche, Munch’s vigorous and expressive style placed him as a figure of frequent controversy, often critiqued as a mere “sketch artist” who lacked discipline and the ability to “finish” his work. But it was this emotive, unpolished approach that effectively defined Munch’s body of work, digging at deeper psychological tensions and facets of modern society. His works frequently forego a tightly composed form, instead allowing the human body to express itself in a equal measures of contorted horror, solipsistic repose, or transitory movement. Munch’s paintings become dynamism themselves, exploring the body as a site of transformation and metaphor.
Edvard Munch, Two Little Girls With Blue Aprons (1904-1905), Courtesy Munch Museet
Dividing Munch’s work up along the various places and locales that he called home, Munch 150 easily stands as the most ambitious and comprehensive exhibitions of the artists, including over 200 paintings, and numerous prints, sketches and other pieces that seek to create a full, carefully considered view of the painter’s body of work. Loose, free-flowing portraits of figures like Friedrich Nietzsche are included alongside painstakingly layered, nearly pointillist self-portraits that drive at Munch’s relentless quest to explore his own style and approach, always foregrounded the emotional affects and compositional experimentation that define Munch’s technique.
Edvard Munch, Starry Night (1922-24), Courtesy Munch Museet
But perhaps the most intriguing facet of the show is the frequent appearance of Munch himself, exposed through numerous self-portraits in a variety of styles and forms. Each time marking a new era of the artist’s life, the frequent return to Munch’s own visage makes for a fascinating juxtaposition between the artist’s view of himself and his work, translating the appearance and emotional states of one through the composition of the other.
Edvard Munch, Self-Portrait with a Bottle of Wine (1906), Courtesy Munch Museet
Alongside the ambitious main show at the two Oslo institutions, a number of smaller galleries, libraries and exhibition spaces around the country will play host to various supplementary exhibitions, including a segment on Munch’s experimentations in photography, his various investigations into landscape painting in the Norwegian countryside, and even an exhibition of contemporary art that takes Munch’s various pieces and explorations as a point of inspiration and influence. Bringing Munch’s long career into the broader context of Norwegian art, the series of shows offer a truly comprehensive meditation on Munch’s defining influence.
Edvard Munch, Self-Portrait in Front of the House Wall (1926), Courtesy Munch Museet
Pushing for a renewed consideration of Munch’s impact beyond the heavy price tag of his most notable work, Munch 150 is a powerful moment for the Oslo arts community, showcasing the emerging Norwegian arts institution in the light of its most revered forefathers. Munch 150 closes on October 13th.
Edvard Munch, Self-Portrait (1886), Courtesy Munch Museet
Edvard Munch, New Snow in the Avenue (1906), Courtesy Munch Museet
Edvard Munch, Death of Marat (1907), Courtesy Munch Museet
Edvard Munch, Cupid and Psyche (1907), Courtesy Munch Museet
—D. Creahan
Read more:
Munch 150 [Exhibition Site]
Nasjonalmuseet [Museum Site]
Munch Museet [Museum Site]
